Clamp for attaching a receptacle supporting bracket



April 28, 1970 L. TRACHTENBERG ET AL CLAMP F OR ATTACHING A RECEPTACLE SUPPORTING BRACKET Filed Aug. 26, 1968 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 /%/er l/arren 7Fac/7/enberg ATTO NEYS A ril 28, 1970 TRACHTENBERG ETA!- 3,503,732

CLAMP FOR ATTACHING A RECEPTACLE SUPPORTING BRACKET Filed Aug. 26, 1968 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. LEONARD mac/ ravens PETE/i wgnm renews/van;

APril 1970 TRACHTENBERG ETAL 3,508,732

CLAMP FOR ATTACHING A RECEPTACLE SUPPORTING BRACKET Filed Aug. 26, 1968 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. ZfOIVflRD TRHCHTENBERG I PETE/i NflRRE/V TRflCHTEABERG AITUR/YE .5

United States Patent US. Cl. 248226 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A clamp device adapted to releasably receive an insulated bottle adapted to be releasably attached to the under flange of a vehicle dashboard. A ring is secured between the bottle parts upon the same being disassembled and then parts tightened upon the ring to provide flange means upon the bottle by which the bottle can be detachably supported upon the clamp device. A supporting bracket for the clamp device can be loosened and is tiltable for pouring from the bottle the contents thereof. The bracket may be adapted to receive trays, map holders, and other members, and tightened to hold these members against tilting movement upon the clamp device.

The invention relates to dashboard holders for insulating bottles, trays, maps etc. such as shown in our copending application, Ser. No. 593,887 filed Nov. 14, 1966, now Patent No. 3,405,899 and of which this application is a continuation-in-part.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a clamping device adapted to be easily attached to the dashboard of a vehicle in front of a seated passenger which will hold an insulated bottle in such a manner that it can be tilted by the passenger to pour oflf some of the contents thereof from its open upper end and returned to its upright position when not in use.

It is another object of the invention to provide an insulated bottle holder clamp device of this type in which the bottle may be adapted for use with the clamp device by merely adding to the bottle a flange ring member between its threaded parts allowing the bottle to be securely and detachably fitted upon the bottle holding support of the clamp device.

It is still another object of the invention to provide a dashboard holder device which is adapted, when not being used to support a bottle, to support a tray for drinking glasses, cleaning tissues, or other items, or for supporting a map holder or Waste paper receptacle.

A further object of the invention is to provide in a dashboard holder device a vertical adjustable member which can be adjusted vertically relative to the dashboard clamping parts and upon which a bottle or tray support ring can be adjusted to different vertical positions so that the bottle can be adjusted to different vertical positions for the convenience and comfort of the passenger who is to make use of the bottle or other parts supported by the device.

For further comprehension of the invention and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings and to the appended claims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

FIGURE 1 is a collective perspective view of the detachable tiltable bottle mounting according to one form of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken generally on 3,508,732 Patented Apr. 28, 1970 line 2 2 of FIG. 1 with the bottle and its ring supported upon its mounting.

FIG. 3 is a collective perspective view of the dashboard engaging clamp parts.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary, sectional view similar to FIG. 3 showing the clamp parts engaging with a dashboard havmg an upturned bottom flange and employing a tapered block filler.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the tapered block filler.

FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the bottle top parts including the ring for receiving the clamp support.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of the bottle and of the tab supporting ring assembled thereto.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the tab support ring.

FIG. 9 is a part perspective view of a further modified form of a detachable tiltable mounting for a bottle.

FIG. 10 is a vertical sectional view taken generally on line 1010 of FIG. 9 on an enlarged scale.

FIG. 11 is a disassembled perspective view of the elbow and clamp of FIG. 10.

FIG. 12 is a vertical sectional view of a modified form of arrangement for clamping the elbow to the vehicle dashboard.

FIG. 13 is a top perspective view of the wedge shown 1n FIG. 12.

FIG. 14 is a top perspective view of the form of mountmg of FIG. 9 shown supporting a tray for utensils 0n the vehicle.

FIG. 15 is a top perspective view of the tray of FIG. 14 with cover plate detached therefrom.

FIG. 16 is a vertical sectional view through the longitudmal center of the tray of FIG. 14 shown supporting a stack of tissues.

FIG. 17 is a top perspective view of the mounting of FIG. 9 shown supporting a clipboard with a road map thereon.

FIG. 18 is a perspective view of the top of a container for, holding a trash bag that is adapted to be detachably supported on the mounting of FIG. 9, parts being shown broken away.

FIG. 19 is a front elevational view of the mounting of FIG. 9 with illustration made of the manner in which the msulated bottle is mounted thereon and tilted.

This clamping device comprises generally two members preferably of channel shape adapted to be nested with one another with their flanges facing the dashboard, one of said members being angularly bent and having an upstanding channel portion with its flanges engageable with the dashboard while its horizontal leg is clamped to the underside of the dashboard by clamp parts. The other channel is connected to the upstanding portion of the channel bracket and is adjustably connected thereto. A ring 1s mounted on the bottle between parts thereof and has laterally oppositely extending portions depending and having holes therein in order to be received by the U- shaped bottle support member adjustably mounted on the upper end of the vertically-extending U-shaped member. The U-shaped member is either a spring clip to lie behind depending lateral projections on the bottle ring or a rod with up bent ends extendable through holes in the diametrically opposite portions of the bottle ring member.

It can be seen by referring first to FIGS. 1 to 8, there is shown a heated insulated bottle 20 including a cylindrical body 21 defined by concentric inner and outer walls 22, 24 of thermal insolation material. The upper end of the bottle body 21 is closed by an internallythreaded cap 26 screwed into the mouth ring 27 that is threaded to the upper end of the inner wall 24 of the body 21. A cup 28 is removably tight fitted over the mouth ring 27. The bottle may be of any conventional construction.

The bottle itself consists of axially detachable parts which are removable and between which and by which a flange ring 31 can be secureable to the bottle body. This flange ring 31 is securable between the outer wall 24 and the mouth ring 27 that is threadably securable to the inner Wall 22 at 32 and the inner wall in turn being threadedly engageable at 33 to the upper end of the outer wall, all of which as shown in FIG. 7. The body construction can be of many arrangements but normally has means whereby the parts can be utilized to rigidly join flange ring 31 to the bottle. The flange ring 31 has diametrically opposite depending portions 34 and 35 depending from the outer periphery thereof and adapted to be slighly spaced from the outer cylindrical surface of the bottle body 21.

The clamp device embodying the features of the present invention comprises generally an angle-shaped member 37 having one leg 38 adapted to extend on the bottom, inturned flange 39 of a vehicle dashboard 41. The leg 38 is secured as shown partly in FIG. 2 by a U-shaped clamp part 42 having a hole 43 in its bight portion through which the leg 38 extends and two upper set screws 44 in its upper flange 45 and their ends adapted to be tightened upon the dashboard inturned flange 39 while an angle set screw 46 engages the underside of the leg 38. Upon these set screws having thumb turning knobs the angle member 37 is made rigidly secure to the bottom flange of the dashboard.

The angle member 37 when secured will have its other leg 47 extending upwardly and forwardly spaced from the frontal face of the dashboard 41 and has two vertically-spaced holes 48 therein for receiving clamp screws 49 and 50 that secure a vertically extending member 51 to the clamping parts in such a manner as to extend upwardly from the clamping parts and forwardly spaced therefrom.

This vertically extending member has a series of adjusting holes 52, any two of which being adapted to receive the screw clamps 49 and 50 and to allow the vertically-extending member 51 to be vertically adjusted relative to the clamping parts and the dashboard. These adjusting holes 52 extend to the upper end of the verticallyextending member 51 so that a bottle supporting bracket 53 having free ends 54, 55 adapted to spring grip bottle body 21 under flange 31 and between downwardly depending portions 34, 35 respectively are as best shown in FIG. 2 and held by an upstanding plate portion 56 secured or integrally united with the bight of the ring bracket support 53 and with clamp screw means 57 extending through anyone of the holes 51 depending upon the desired location of the bottle in front of the pas senger. Upon the clamp screw means being loosened, it will be observed that the bottle 20 and the ring support 53 can be tilted laterally without disengagement from the vertical support member 51 to pour off coffee or other contents therefrom upon the cap 28 and plug 26 being removed from the bottle. If it is desired to prevent tilting, it is only necessary that the clamp screw means 57 be tightened to hold the ring support against tilting movement from the vertical support member 51.

In FIGS. 4 and 5, there is shown a slight variation of the adaptability of the clamp parts 37 and 42 so that the device can be secured to an upwardly and rearwardly inclined flange 39 of a dashboard 41'. A tapered spacing block 61 is fitted between the under and rearwardly inclined face of the inturned flange 39' of the dashboard and leg 38 engaging with the under flat face thereof. With these parts so assembled the engagement is made by merely tightening the clamp screws 44 and 46.

In FIGS. 9 to 11, modified means for supporting the bottle 20' in upright position on the vehicle is shown. In this form, an elongated channel-shaped post 90 formed with spaced holes 92 in the web portion 94 thereof is adjustably and detachably fixed to a channel-shaped elbow 96 clamped to the underside 98 of a dashboard 68', by a clamping structure 100. The clamping structure 100 includes a U-shaped body 102 formed with a rectangularshaped opening 104 in its bight portion 106. The leg portions 108, 108 are each formed with a pair of threaded holes 110 to receive a clamping screw 112 with knob 114 whereby one leg 116 of the elbow 96 extends through the opening 104 and is clamped to the dashboard. The other leg 118 of the elbow 96 is adjustably fixed to the inner surface of the web portion 94 of channel shaped post 90 by a screw 120 passing through hole 92 in the post and having a lock nut 124 inside the post for fastening the post and elbow to each other.

A bracket assembly 126 is detachably and adjustably mounted on the post 90 adjacent its top end as viewed in FIG. 9. This bracket assembly 126 includes a U-shaped wire body 128 with upwardly bent free ends 130. A perforated substantially-square plate 132 is formed integrally with a bight portion 134 of the wire body 128 extending upwardly. The U-shaped body 128 is adapted to be held against the post 90 by means of a threaded bolt and nut assembly 136, the shank 138 of the headed bolt extending through one of the holes 92 in the post 90 and clamped to the plate by the wing nut 140.

The U-shaped body 128 when in the horizontal position shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 is ready to receive and support a bottle 20' having a metal band 142 therearound with opposed perforated brackets 144. The brackets 144 are slipped over the free bent ends of the body as shown in FIG. 10 whereby the bottle is detachably held in upright position as shown in FIG. 10. The bottle 20' may be swung clockwise or counterclockwise and viewed in FIG. 19 by merely loosening the wing nut of the bolt and nut assembly 136.

A more secure attachment of the elbow 96 to the dashboard 68" may be obtained by inserting a wedge-shaped insert 142 under the end edge of the underside 98" of the dashboard and then tightening up on the clamping screw 112" thereabove as shown in FIG. 12.

The mounting assembly shown in FIG. 9 is also adapted to support a tray structure in level position for supporting drinking cups in upright position and cleaning tissues in stacked position as shown in FIGS. 14 and 16. A metal tray 146 is shown including a flat rectangular body 148 with flanged periphery 150 forming a shallow tray. The body is formed with spaced round openings 152 adapted to receive and support in upright position various household articles such as drinking glasses or tumblers 154 shown supported in the openings. These glasses or tumblers 154 may be tapered or formed with end flanges. One of the long flanged edges is formed with laterallyextending integrally-perforated ears 156 whereby the tray may be slid over the top of the bent ends 130 of the bracket 126 and supported in operative level position as shown in FIG. 14. The tray 146 may be provided with a removable cover 158 as shown in FIG. 15.

In FIG. 16, the tray 146 is shown supporting a stack of cleaning tissues 160.

A rectangular-shaped solid board 162 having a piece 164 at the head thereof is shown supported in operative horizontal position in FIG. 17 on the mounting assembly shown in FIG. 9. The body of the board 162 and the head piece 164 are formed with aligned holes 166 to receive the bent ends 130 of the bracket 126. The board 162 is adapted to support in flat condition, road maps 168 or the like clamped together by a metal spring clamp 170.

The mounting assembly shown in FIG. 9 is also adapted to support in upright position a container such as the container 172 shown in FIG. 18 having a rectangular-shaped hollow body 174 closed at the sides and bottom and being open at the top. A trash bag lining 176 is provided for the body. The rim of the open top of the body is formed with spaced perforated ears 178 for receiving the bent ends 130 of the bracket 126.

In order to use the bottle 20, the plug 64 is plugged into a convenient outlet such as the cigarette lighter receptable 65 on the dashboard 68 of the vehicle 70 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 8. If the unit is plugged into current, without any liquid present, or, if liquid present has evaporated below coil level, then the bimetallic element 49 serves as a thermostatic switch member, breaking contact, so as to avoid damage to the unit. The thermal element 49 when heated will fracture the connection between the end contacts or terminals 51 and 53 to open the power supply circuit and cut off the electrical energy supplied to the heating element 32. This thermal element will be sufliciently sensitive to maintain the contents of the bottle at a desired temperature.

While we have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of our invention, it is to be understood that we do not limit ourselves to the precise constructions herein disclosed and that various changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A clamping device for mounting bottle, tray or the like upon the vehicle dashboard comprising clamp parts and clamp screws adapted to be secured to the underflange of the vehicle dashboard behind the dashboard frontal face, a vertically-extending member forwardly spaced from the frontal face of the dashboard and supported upon one of the clamping parts, a support member adapted to receive a bottle, tray, map holder or the like secured to the upper end of the vertically-extending member and extending forwardly outwardly thereforiu, one of the clamping parts is of channel section and has an upstanding leg with its flanges adapted to engage the frontal face of the dashboard when clamped to the underflange thereof, said vertically-extending member likewise being of channel section and adapted to be nested over the upstanding channel section leg of the clamp part and to be restrained by its flanges against lateral displacement relative thereto and a single clamping screw means for securing the upright member to the clamp leg against vertical displacement therefrom.

2. A clamping device for mounting bottle, tray or the like upon the vehicle dashboard, as defined in claim 1, and said vertically-extending member having adjusting holes for receiving a clamping screw means whereby the vertically-extending member can be vertically adjusted and secured to different vertical positions upon the clamp part and relative to the vehicle dashboard.

3. A clamping device for mounting bottle, tray or the like upon the vehicle dashboard as defined in claim 2, said support member for holding the bottle, tray or the like comprising a U-shaped portion extending forwardly, and an upstanding plate portion integrally secured to the bight portion, and clamping screw means extending through the upstanding plate portion for releasably and and laterally tiltably securing the support member to the vertically-exending member.

4. A clamping device for mounting bottle, tray or the like upon the vehicle dashboard as defined in claim 3, and a ring flange adapted to be secured between the releasable parts of a bottle and having diametrically opposite extending portions, said bottle support (bracket) member having a U-shaped portion for receiving the bottle through its diameter and the ends of which being adapted to engage the diametrically extending portion of the bottle support bracket.

5. A clamping device for mounting bottle, tray or the like upon the vehicle dashboard comprising clamp parts and clamp screws adapted to be secured to the underflange of the vehicle dashboard behind the dashboard frontal face, a vertically-extending member forwardly spaced from the frontal face of the dashboard and supported upon one of the clamping parts, a support member adapted to receive a bottle, tray, map holder or the like secured to the upper end of the verticallyextending member and extending forwardly outwardly therefrom, and a ring flange adapted to be secured between the releasable part of a bottle and having diametrically opposite extending portions, said bottle support member having a U-shaped portion for receiving the bottle through its diameter and the ends of which being adapted to engage the diametrically extending portions of the bottle support bracket, said diametrically opposite extending portions of the bottle ring flange depending downwardly from the outer periphery thereof and said ends of the U-shaped portion of the bottle support bracket adapted to engage the ides of the body in a spring grip manner between the downwardly extending diametrically opposite portions of the flange ring and the sides of the bottle whereby to lock the bracket ends to the bottle against lateral displacement but permitting sliding movement of the bottle upwardly therefrom for disengagement from the support bracket or for mounting the bottle upon the support bracket, the flange ring thereby being adapted to positively hold the bottle against downward displacement from the support bracket.

6. A clamping device for mounting bottle, tray or the like upon the vehicle dashboard comprising clamp parts and clamp screws adapted to be secured to the underflange of the vehicle dashboard behind the dashboard frontal face, a vertically-extending member forwardly spaced from the frontal face of the dashboard and supported upon one of the clamping parts, a support member adapted to receive a bottle, tray, map holder or the like secured to the upper end of the verticallyextending member and extending forwardly outwardly therefrom, and a ring flange adapted to be secured between the releasable parts of a bottle and having diametrically opposite extending portions, said bottle support member having a U-shaped portion for receiving the bottle through its diameter and ends of which being adapted to engage the diametrically extending portions of the bottle support bracket, said diametrically extending portions of the bottle ring flange extending horizontally and having holes therein, said U-shaped portion of the bottle support bracket having upwardly-extending free ends adapted to extend through the holes on the ring flange extending portions to removably hold the bottle against downward displacement thereon and adapted to support trays, map holders, baskets having similarly spaced holes thereon when the device is not being used as a bottle holder.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 732,613 6/1903 Betts 248-312 X 2,075,080 3/1937 Baker 248-226 X 3,193,232 7/7965 Hatcher 248226 3,317,171 5/ 1967 Kramer 248229 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,106,958 12/1955 France.

ROY D. FRAZIER, Primary Examiner J. FRANKLIN FOSS, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 224-4245; 248311 

